CNN Post Debate Poll: 53% Still Believe Palin Unqualified to Take Over as President

In a CNN post-debate poll, 53% of those polled say while Gov. Sarah Palin exceeded their expecations in the debate tonight, they still believe Gov. Sarah Palin is unqualified to take over as President. Numbers below:

Who Did the Best Job In the Debate?
Biden 51%
Palin 36%

Biden did better or worse than expected?
64% better
14% worse
20% same

Palin did better or worse than expected?
84% better
7% worse
8% same

Palin qualified to serve as President?
Before debate:
42% yes
54% no
After debate
46% yes
53% no

Gwen Ifill did her part in insuring that Palin would survive. Ifill moderated nothing, she allowed Palin to avoid question after question. There's a hell of a lot of difference between being fair and being accommodating. Accommodation is a disservice to the public.

Palin looked bad in the Couric interviews because she was pressed for answers. Ifill made sure that wouldn't happen in front of a larger audience many of whom attempting to determine who gets their vote. Once again the Village people (media branch) insure that the truth is hidden from the American people.

Next election Ifill should not be allowed to moderate anything. She may have been worked by the refs on this one and there's no point in giving her another chance.

The terms of the debate were set by Obama and McCain teams. I don't think there was the option to pose follow up questions as Lehrer did with the Presidential debate. This was all renegotiated in late September after the Palin interviews started coming out.

"In the negotiations, Republicans wanted to limit the amount of time available for their neophyte candidate, Palin, to be questioned on a single topic."

and was really enthused with McCain's Palin pick. So enthused, that I've been banned on this blog before. On the issues, I'm as moderate as they come. And yet, I think Biden handily won the debate. Palin came off really condescending, she tried really hard to emasculate Biden from the get-go. All her "Gosh darn it" lines and winking were forced and unnecessary. She came off as someone who memorized a 30 minute speech and tried to use as much of that speech as possible and where ever she could. Biden came off as a likable, knowledgeable, and classy guy who picked and chose what to go after. Biden focused on McCain, and did what Obama couldn't even successfully do last time to tie McCain with the Bush administration.

That is exactly the reaction I had. I am flabbergasted at the pundit chat on this one. I knew the republicans would try to spin it in Palin's favor, but the pundit class has really outdone itself. I actually felt bad for her because it was apparent she did not have enough time to master enough issues. So, whenever she was posed a question she couldn't answer, she simply pulled another answer out of her hat.

[Harrison]took the oath of office on a cold and windy day, March 4, 1841. Despite the extreme cold he faced the weather with no coat on, and delivered the longest inaugural address in American history, at nearly two hours. It would have been longer had Daniel Webster not edited it.

This proved to be his undoing, however, as during this address he caught a cold, which developed into pneumonia. He passed away a month later on April 4, 1841, becoming the first American president to die in office. John Tyler succeeded him to the Presidency shortly thereafter.

Before he died, he was treated with opium, snakes and other things and became delirious. So his VP had to be prepared on less than 30 days notice.

the fastest cabinet confirmation on record. In fact, I doubt whether all the appointments will have even been announced.

So if Palin became President after 30 days not only would we have to deal with an incompetent ideologue in the White House but we'd get a cabinet entirely composed of her brothers-in-law and other people who passed her personal loyalty test.

Well, she didn't wet herself, if that is the standard. Shucks, ya know?
I'm a bit upset that Ifill didn't call her on some things, but then Biden didn't either. She had that cutsy way about her, the tattoed lips, the puffy little cheeks, whats a guy to do? Gee, ya can't expect Joe SixPack not ta just fall all over that. Fer shure.
I just wish McCain would stop calling me his "friend" and that SPalin would stop winking at me. It makes me uneasy.
If something horrible happens and those two Horrors should win, I'll have to look for some better place to live. Like, maybe Bangladesh.
Ya can betyer life, sweetie,

The polls are all over the place. My guess is it depended on what station the survey group watched the debate from. If so, it tells me that bias in each media station do have an effect on how people view the candidates. Or people choose media stations who tilt toward their views.

Everything was rolling along smoothly.
Both candidates seemed rational and were making their statements which were usually used a word in the question as the starting point for a little prepared speech that was tangentially related.
Ifill had no follow-ups or challenges. Everything was coasting along.

Then, it happened.

Palin, in discussing the rights of homosexuals, with a bit of a strange fire in her eye, felt impelled to make clear that she wouldn't want to threaten the traditional view of marriage - that it is between a man and a woman. I thought to myself - that's it. She looks like a right wing nut case. She's unravelling. Debate over.

Not to worry.

Biden, as soon as he could, hastens to chime in that he and Barack share that same opinion.

She squeaked by because the bar was set so low, but the effect is that the media can ignore her. She will still get large crowds of people that were going to vote for McCain out to see her, but the story line will stop there. She didn't set herself to take any moderate women who were leaning towards Obama away from Obama. Which is good. The less time focused on her and more about real issues is the best thing for Obama.